Review: THE BODYGUARD, King's Theatre
The Bodyguard runs at the King's Theatre until 30 May 2026
The Bodyguard is a musical based on the 1992 film of the same name, with screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and book by Alexander Dinelaris. The stage show also celebrates the music of the film’s original star, Whitney Houston.
Rachel Marron (Sidonie Smith) is one of the world’s biggest pop stars, but she has an obsessive fan who has been sneaking into her dressing room and leaving threatening notes. Her team decided to hire Frank Farmer (Adam Garcia) a skilled bodyguard to protect her.
While the two clash initially, Frank becomes extremely fond of Rachel’s 10-year-old son Fletcher (Mason Dyett), and she softens towards him after a near miss with her menacing stalker (Jamie-Lee Harris).
The tension regarding the stalker is so well played out. This is the third time I’ve seen the show and I still jumped out of my skin a couple of times. The Bodyguard first toured the UK in 2015, and while productions can get a little tired, this show remains as fresh as ever. It’s been ever so slightly modernised from the 90s story but not excessively so- there’s one mention of something going viral on Instagram but the story is very much the original. The song-and-dance numbers are big and high-energy; the actors have great chemistry, and it's a story that will have you gripped.
Sidonie Smith has the vocals required to pull off those big, belting numbers and highlights include “I Will Always Love You”; “I Have Nothing” and “One Moment In Time”. The concert scenes are well designed and it feels like a big arena show at times.
Adam Garcia is the ideal leading man as Farmer. He’s stoic and professional, but he has an undeniable charm that makes it believable when Rachel falls for him.
The Bodyguard is a thrilling and captivating production with fantastic music that makes for a guaranteed great night out.
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